Fall in number of recorded burglaries in Shropshire
Householders and businesses in Shropshire are being urged to be security-conscious, making sure their homes and premises are safely secured.
The warning comes from Detective Inspector Peter Brophy, head of the West Mercia Police Proactive Burglary Team for Shropshire, and coincides with a falling number of recorded burglaries in the county. The number of charges brought has also more than doubled the previous year's figure.
He said: "The good news is that household burglaries across Shropshire have been significantly reduced in recent months.The current figure for the year since April 1 is about 2.5 per cent down on the same period the year before.
"However, it will take a concerted effort on the part of everyone to continue this trend as spring and warmer weather approaches.Burglars are likely to become more active now that the recent snow and ice has gone.
"I am concerned they may try and make up for lost time in the coming weeks. Tackling burglary remains a top priority for us, and under the force-wide Citadel initiative launched last autumn, we are working hard to prevent crimes and to detect offenders".
Det Insp Brophy added: "I would like to thank Shropshire residents for their support in heeding our advice about tightening up security and for reporting suspicious activity to the police on 101. In some cases, people have phoned when they suspect a burglary in progress and in such cases do call 999 so we can respond as an emergency.
"It is important everyone plays their part in helping prevent break-ins. As such, do make sure you take all possible steps to protect your home. In particular we would like people to make sure their property appears occupied, whether they are away on holiday or just out for the evening."
